As is known in the art, predictive dialer systems typically perform call processing operations and manage the two-way flow of data between a host computer, an operator workstation and a predictive dialer and the two way flow of voice signals between an operator and a called party. Typically, call records which include telephone numbers to be called, are down loaded as a batch file from the host computer to a telecommunication system management unit.
As is also known, such dialing systems use groups of call records generally referred to as a "list." The list is typically generated by grouping call records having a common characteristic such as amount overdue, area code, time zone, etc. Such lists are provided to the predictive dialer. An operator "logs on" to one of the lists through the predictive dialer and the predictive dialer performs the dialing function. The operator must wait until the dialer provides an answered call to the operator.
When the dialer dials a phone number however, the dialer may get no answer, a busy signal or an answering machine before getting a live answer to connect to an operator. When each of the call records in a particular list have been dialed, the predictive dialer automatically "logs off" the operator from the list. Thus, it is possible for the operator to be logged off without ever being connected to a line or party. Furthermore, after the operator is "logged off", the operator typically fails to have any tasks to perform and thus the operator continues to be unproductive.
An operator supervisor will have then typically prepared another call list which the operator may log on to. Therefore the operator must manually log on to a second list which the supervisor has prepared and made available to be dialed before calls can be connected to that operator.
Generally, the operator supervisor must constantly monitor the condition of the lists being dialed and the operator assignments. Once an operator becomes available, that is, once the predictive dialer has logged the operator off a list that is ending, the supervisor must then communicate to the operator which list the operator should next log on to. This process of manually logging on and logging off lists is time consuming, inefficient and causes the operator to experience considerable amount of downtime or idle time.
This problem is compounded when there exists a large number of lists each consisting of a small number of call records. For example, when a list having only 1 or 2 call records is provided to the operator, the dialing system rapidly dials the 2 numbers in the list. In this situation, the operator logs on to the list and shortly thereafter the predictive dialer logs the operator off the list. Thus, the amount of downtime each operator experiences is further increased since the operator is often waiting for the supervisor to prepare a new list and direct the operator to log on to the new list.
Most of the limitations of the prior art have been remedied by the above referenced co-pending application, of which the present invention is a continuation-in-part, and assigned to the assignee of the present invention and fully incorporated herein be reference. The co-pending application provides a predetermined sequence of call lists and operator assignments for dialing a flow of call records, thereby minimizing the amount of unproductive time existing between assignments.
The method of the co-pending application includes the steps of selecting a set of calling lists, each calling list containing at least one call record, and ordering the set of calling lists in a predetermined order. One record from a first call list is joined to one record from a second call list to provide a flow. The flow is applied to a predictive dialer such that the predictive dialer may dial phone numbers in a predetermined order as directed by the flow. As a call list within a flow is ended, all operators logged onto that list are automatically logged onto the next calling list in the flow.
A limitation of the system described in the co-pending application, however, is that the call record lists are selected prior to applying the call record flow to the predictive dialer for call processing. Once the flow is applied, the flow characteristics and call record control programs are bound to the flow without the capability of modification until the flow has been executed or manually ended.
A further limitation of the prior art system requires that agents log onto specific call record lists within a specific flow. Thus, a delay in transition from one call record list to another call record list and from one flow to another flow, is present. This transition delay results in an increase in hold times and number of aborts.
A further limitation of the prior art systems requires the call record lists to be selected by an exclusion filtering process which examines the entire database of call records before a call record list can be generated.
Accordingly, what is needed is a system and method which provides a call record campaign having a rules based dialing process. Such call record campaigns should include campaign attributes and system call control programs capable of real-time modifications. Further, a method for applying campaign resources, such as agents, to the telephony system, and subsequently assigning the agents to service particular call records within any call record list is required. Additionally, an inclusion filtering process is required for selecting call records from a common database of call records to comprise a call record campaign.